Increasing fatigue performance in AHSS thick sheet by surface treatments

Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) have been widely applied in the automotive industry as an affordable solution for car lightweighting, mainly in parts subjected to crash requirements. Heavy duty vehicle (HDV) can also benefit from the expertise learned in cars, but parts must be designed considering fatigue resistance, especially on trimmed areas, and stiffness. Mechanical surface treatments, as blasting or shot peening, help increasing fatigue life of AHSS in trimmed areas and will allow weight reduction in HDV through gauge downsizing. The expected decrease in stiffness through thickness reduction can be improved by design changes. However, scarce information about the effect of mechanical surface treatments on AHSS are available. Thus, the aim of this work is to evaluate the increment in fatigue life of two different steel grades (350 MPa, and 500MPa of yield strength) in thick sheet by means of mechanical surface treatment – sandblasting. High Cycle Fatigue [HCF] tests were conducted at alternating load [R=-1]. Residual stresses were measured by an X-ray tensometry prior fatigue tests. Also the surface roughness [Rz] and form is measured using an optical non-contact 3D microscope. On the other hand, the fracture surfaces of the test specimens were observed via scanning electron microscope (SEM) in order to determine the crack initiation points. The evaluation of fatigue life in terms of SN curves is also discussed, analysing how the sandblasting process modifies the surface roughness and introduce compressive residual stresses on the external layer of the material. Both phenomena enhance the fatigue strength of the evaluated steel grades.